Identity theft occurs when someone uses your personal information without your permission for financial gain. Thieves use your personal information to open up bank accounts, credit cards, rent homes or even get jobs.
What should you do if your identity is stolen? First, file a police report, contact your creditors and one of the credit bureaus. Also, file a complaint with the FTC at www.consumer.gov/idtheft or call (877) 438-4338.
Your BBB will be hosting its Secure Your ID Day on Saturday, April 16, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Routsong Funeral Home, 81 N. Main St., Centerville. At this free event, your BBB will shred documents containing personal information for you onsite to help protect you from ID thieves.
To help combat identity theft, your Better Business Bureau suggests you:
• Never give out personal information.
• Check your credit reports regularly. You’re allowed one free credit report per year from each of the three credit bureaus. You can request yours at www.annualcreditreport.com.
• Monitor account statements to be sure you were the source for all activity.
• Shred credit card applications and statements before throwing them away. Also, you can opt out of these offers by calling (888) 567-8688 or visiting www.optoutprescreen.com.
• Cut up credit cards before pitching them and limit the amount of cards you carry.
• Don’t respond to e-mails requesting you verify personal information. Avoid unsolicited e-mails and never click on links from unknown sources.
• Memorize your passwords and change them regularly. Use security questions on websites if available.
• Know that public Wi-Fi access can leave you vulnerable to scammers.
• Update your computer with the latest anti-virus and anti-spyware software.
• Only submit personal information on secure websites. They should have “https” in the address and a locked padlock in the corner.
If you have any questions regarding identity theft, visit www.bbb.org or call (937) 222-5825 or (800) 776-5301.
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